Holiday and Seasonal Stone Art..... an Idea That Jingle Bell Rocks!

THE PERFECT HOLIDAY CRAFT FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY!

Holidays are the perfect time for hanging out with family members, listening to carols by a fire, and creating SEASONAL STONE ART!

This is a project I enjoy engaging in with my daughter every year! It's fun, it's creative, and it's LOW COST (which is important when you're already spending way too much on holiday gifts)! Plus....IT'S EASY!

In other words, don't tell yourself you are "not a good artist" so you can not engage in stone painting. NONSENSE! Just bring your own unique style to the table (you can even stick to painting words and polk-a-dots) and LET'S GET STARTED

WHAT WILL YOU NEED?

Do you have some smooth spare stones hanging around the house from your summer-time exploits? No? Well, just march yourself down to the nearest Jo Anne Fabrics and Crafts store (C'mon, you know you wanted an excuse to go there anyway!) and pick up a bag of Panachea's large white tumbled river stonesfor under five bucks.

What else will you need?

You will need to scoop up some BRIGHT ACRYLIC PAINTS(You can buy these at Jo Anne's - or just about anywhere, including Walmart).

Choose seasonal colors, such as red, green, silver, gold and blue (different shades of blue for the ''sky" and "ice") - and of course, black and white. Pick up some Glitter and Metallic style acrylic paints, as well. You can also spray paint your stones to create a smooth uniform background....just make sure you do so outside or in a well ventilated area.

CHOOSE YOUR GLUE WISELY!

You may need some form of glue or epoxy to attach stones together (to make a snowman, perhaps?) or to affix a poof of cotton to a stone to create a nice fluffy Santa beard! Super glue is fine for small areas of attachment.

If you have larger or heavier items to attach, you can use jewelry adhesive - liquid, putty, or paste epoxy (make sure you have proper ventilation when using epoxies).

I would not recommend Gorilla Glue, however, since it expands to foam as it cures and will push materials apart.

Also, don't forget Mod Podge to brush over your entire stone and "seal in" your precious artwork, so you can display your stones year after year after year! Walmart sells Mod Podge now in there "art department" in small practical bottles that do not cost very much at all.

"Let it snow" Holiday Message Stone

DON'T BE AFRAID TO BLING OUT YOUR DESIGNS...IT'S FESTIVE!

ling, bling, bling! Why not purchase some fun stick-on rhinestones in sheets of gorgeous glistening color, clear.... to represent icy droplets - or rhinestone designs, letters, and words? You can easily stick these blingy dots onto your stones as a design - or incorporate them into pre-existing subject matter; for example, as ornaments on a Christmas tree or at the tip of Rudolph's nose to light the way!

You will also need pencils or ultra fine permanent markers for drawing your designs onto the stone. You must use permanent marker, or your lines will smear....although "smeary" lines can create an interesting "underwater look" if that's what you're after (perhaps a Christmas mermaid)?

Use pencil on a light color stone (or paint your stone white to begin with) if you don't want your design to look too "outlined." You can save the ultra-fine marker for fine details, like the sweet face of an angel.

You will probably want to spread out newspaper or a piece of old wrapping paper to protect your work surface. Acrylics can get drippy and messy, and once the paint dries on furniture, it's hard to scrape off.

Pssst.....Mod Podge can double as glue....just sprinkle glitter or sequins on top and they will stick to your stone!

CAN'T BEAT GLITTER PAINT AND SHARPIE MARKERS!

Extreme Glitter Hologram White ACRYLIC by Plaid Folk Art Paint is one of my favorite paints to use for crafting. You can brush this transparent glittery glaze over your whole finished stone masterpiece to add a lovely shimmery gloss. Pure fantasy!

You may wish to try some PAINT MARKERS (they come in great festive colors like silver, gold, and glitter champagne). Paint markers are perfect for writing holiday messages on your seasonal stones!

You get much more control with a paint marker than you do with a paint brush. A white paint marker is also very effective on a dark stone or on a black or dark blue (sky) painted background.

I have found that water based Sharpie Poster markers work best. Of course, no paint marker is perfect (sigh). You must continually shake the markers and yes, sometimes they leak and dry up.

However, the Sharpie waterbased poster paint markers seem to last the longest.....take it from one who knows (and who has experimented with lots of brands). Of course, you can always write your Ho-Ho-Ho's and Let it Snow with regular Sharpie markers, if you prefer

WHAT CAN I DO WITH MY SEASONAL STONE MASTERPIECES?

Glad you asked! An easy peasy idea is to place your pretty stones in a decorative holiday bowl or basket that will grace any table top!

Incorporate your stones in a pre-existing holiday scenery set-up! For instance, if your stones "stand up" by themselves, and you paint them as Santas or elves, place them around or next to other holiday décor, or nestled enticingly in greenery on a mantle.

Add holiday spirit to your house plants by gracing pots with some decorative jingle bell rocks!

Make a cute stone Nativity scene that stands on it's own, on a shelf or table.

Create small "story stones" - pictures on stones that can be used by your family to "tell a holiday story" depending on which stone is chosen and in what order.

WHY NOT SELL SOME OF YOUR CREATIONS?

If you feel your decorative stones are "good enough" (and of course they will be!) why not sell some at a holiday craft bazaar?

Place seasonal stones and rocks outside by your front entrance-way or on your deck or patio to bring holiday joy to the outside of your home as well as the inside.

Leave a cute stone on a playground! I used to do this when we lived in an apartment. By the end of the day, the stones were always gone. It made me happy to think of some child finding a decorative stone unexpectedly and being delighted by the "magic" of it all!

Place stones that have sequins and glitter "bling" in areas where they will "catch the light" - by candles or stringers of Christmas lights.

And of course, you can always give your cute and pretty stones AS GIFTS! Create your own "pet snowman in a box....or maybe a MELTED SNOWMAN IN A BOX" - a funny seasonal twist on the old fashioned pet stone!

And speaking of boxes....don't forget to designate a decorative holiday box lined with tissue paper to store all of your wonderful creations so they can be enjoyed again NEXT YEAR...and the year after that...and the year after that.....